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Grant County Sheriff's Department search for armed man leads to SWAT team standoff

By Benjamin Fisher

bfisher@scsun-news.com on Twitter

Posted:
07/16/2013 05:34:01 PM MDT

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Grant County Sheriff's Department blocked Main Street off in front of the Pinos Alto Museum throughout the afternoon on Tuesday while a SWAT team stood off against a heavily armed man inside a house. Benjamin Fisher/Sun-News

Silver City >> The air above Silver City and Pinos Altos was filled with the sounds of helicotper blades and sirens as Grant County Sheriff's Deputies searched with air support from Immigration and Customs Enforcement for an allegedly heavily armed man - resulting in a SWAT team standoff at a Pinos Altos home before the man surrendered.

Throughout Tuesday morning, concerned Silver City residents stood out on the porches of homes and businesses, eyes to the sky, wondering why helicopters would be flying so low above the town. Later in the day, the helicopters moved to Pinos Altos, where they were joined by a Special Weapons and Tactics team from the Grant County Sheriff's Department outside a home on the small town's Main Street.

Deputies blocked off Main Street and told Pinos Altos residents to stay inside because of an armed man inside a home there, according to the many residents who ignored that request and stood in their yards, craning their necks to see what was going on.

The road block lasted for several hours as a helicopter continued to circle overhead and deputies and probation and parole officials tried to get the armed man to surrender.

At around 4 p.m., the man surrendered to Sheriff's deputies. As of 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, the man's identity was still not confirmed. The Silver City Sun-News will continue to post updates at facebook.com/SilverCitySunNews and facebook.com/scsunnews, and on Twitter @SCSunNews.